Ha ha… do I use a pen name. No, I don’t write under a pen name. Most day’s I’m so busy I’d forget who I was if I had two names, so…. The name Lynda Stacey, really is me.

I’m the Sales Director at a stationery and office furniture company in Doncaster. It’s a position I’ve held for the past 25 years. I’ve seen the company grow and develop over the years and I’m very proud to be a part of it.

During my life, I’ve also been a oral surgery nurse, a model, an emergency first response instructor and a Scuba Diving Instructor, who was qualified to teach people from taking their first underwater breaths, to being instructors themselves. People think I’m a little crazy, I have no problem jumping in the sea knowing there are sharks below. I love every minute of it.

However, in 2008 I was involved in a car accident. My shoulder was badly damaged and I had no strength in my right arm and had to stop teaching, although I do still dive for myself.

It was then that I began ‘playing’ at writing. I’d always had an interest in writing and like many other people had said for years that ‘one day I’d write a novel’. My brother even bought me a word processor 25 years ago and gave it to me with the words, “You keep saying you’ll write a book, get on with it.” Well… I finally did.

What are the titles and genres of your books?

The title of my debut novel is House of Secrets.

I always write romantic suspense, with a true villain at the centre of the story. I do believe in love, but I’m also very aware that life isn’t always simple.

How did you come up with the stories?

It was my birthday and my husband took me to stay at Wrea Head Hall for the night. The moment I walked in through the front door, I could feel the history seeping out through the walls. It was as thought the hall was talking to me, asking for a book to be written and to be fair, a house like that deserves a great story. So, I’ve given it as much intrigue as I could possibly imagine.

Your book has a lovely cover, did you have any say in what you wanted the cover to be?

I always wanted the hall to be on the cover. It’s a beautiful place and the owner of the hall gave me the permission to use the photo, he’s also been extremely supportive. But other than that, I was happy to let Choc Lit do the rest. Berni Stevens does most of their covers. She is a fabulous designer and I just knew I’d be in for a treat.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

YES….Keep writing. Write every day, even if it’s only a few words. And join a writing group. I became a member of the Romantic Novelist Association in 2013. They have a New Writers Scheme. As part of your NWS membership, you are offered a critique service on your work in progress. This was invaluable. They also have an annual conference, where you can meet editors or agents on a 1-1 basis. This is where I first met Lyn Vernham, director of Choc Lit and where she first became interested in my work.

What is your writing routine?

I work full time. My writing in sporadic and some nights my laptop doesn’t land on my knee until seven or eight o’clock. But I always try and write something.

Most of my writing is done on a Saturday or Sunday morning. I wake up early, around 6am and can sometimes get two or three hours writing done before the rest of the house (meaning the husband) wakes up.

Do you have an editing process?

I tend to edit as I write. But once I don’t feel as though I can do any more, I send it to Jane Lovering who offers a critique service. She’s amazing and brutally honest, but well worth listening to. If she says the plot is too complicated, or a character isn’t working, she’s normally right.

What I enjoy most is getting lost in the story. I love it when the characters come to life, they take on a personality and start doing their own thing on the page. I can write a chapter and then sit back and think, “Where did that come from?”. A few pages later, the character tends to do something else and I start nodding and laughing, saying to myself, “So, that’s why you did it.”

Are you writing anything at the moment?

I’ve just completed my 3rd novel. Currently called Broken Hope. I’ve put it down for a few weeks and will go back to it and re-edit it again, before sending it to Jane.

And I’m researching a possible time slip that I’ll base around the mining community. I am after all a miners daughter, so I kind of see the subject as my heritage. I also lived through the miners strikes of 1984, so have first hand knowledge on what it was really like.

Where can people find you on the internet?

Well…. I’m all over the place really. You can’t miss me. I have a page on Facebook, a twitter account, a webpage, an author page on the RNA website and an author page on the Choc Lit site.

Oh… and you can find my e-book HOUSE OF SECRETS on Amazon and all other platforms. It’s a bargain at just £1.99

Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?

Yes… please love the book ha ha… I put my heart and soul into writing House of Secrets. If you did enjoy it, I’d love for you to leave a review and to know your thoughts.

And if you ever get the chance, go to Wrea Head Hall. It’s just outside of Scarborough and I can guarantee that you’ll have an amazing time.

How does it feel to finally hold your book in your hands?

Well, my book is e-book first. But hopefully, I’ll get enough reviews to get it into print. Already, House of Secrets has 16 reviews, 13 of them are 5 star and 3 of them are 4’s… it’s so much better than I could have wished for. I’m so happy and grateful to everyone who takes the time to write the reviews.